So yeah, the day of independence has arrived, and what better way to celebrate than by giving independent developers some love? It’s an unfortunate truth that most indie games fly under people’s hypothetical radars, giving some truly magnificent games less exposure than they deserve. So in the spirit of Independence Day, let’s all watch the fireworks as I list 20 upcoming indie games you should have on your radar.

A Hat in Time- Q1 2014 -

Developer: Gears for Breakfast

Platform(s): PC, Mac, possibly Wii U

Back in the N64 days, when Mario and Donkey Kong were making their transition into the 3D realm and a certain bear and bird came onto the scene, some kind of magic happened to the gaming world. But these days, 3D platformers have become pretty scarce. That’s what indie dev Gears for Breakfast thinks, anyway.

As an answer to this shortage, A Hat in Time was born, taking deep inspiration from games like Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, and Banjo-Kazooie. There, now you have no reason not to keep an eye on it.

Among the Sleep- Q4 2013 -

Developer: Krillbite Studio

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux

Have you ever wanted to play a game starring a baby? Oh, you have? Well, to each their own, I suppose… Anyway, in indie horror game Among the Sleep, the concept of an infant being the protagonist actually seems to work really well. Not only does the game involve reality colliding with the child’s limitless imagination, but… well, you’re a baby. Try fighting off whatever lurks in the night in that state. Yeah, it’ll be pretty terrifying for sure.

Dead State- December 3 2013 -

Developer: DoubleBear Productions

Platform(s): PC

There are plenty of zombie games creeping about, but never have I seen one quite like this. Rather than the run-‘n-gun type of gameplay we tend to see a lot of in games revolving around a zombie outbreak, Dead State seems to take a more tactical approach. Tasked with maintaining a school sheltering survivors, you will find yourself developing relationships and gathering supplies, all while fighting off zombie hordes in a turn-based battle system. Not sure about you guys, but that concept sure piqued my interest.

Owlboy- TBA -

Developer: D-pad Studios

Platform(s): PC, XBLA

If this game is already on your radar, I wouldn’t be surprised. Owlboy has been in development for a pretty damn while, and could be delayed even further for all we know. But hey, the game looks well worth the wait, so we’ll just have to deal. Looking like the product of the SNES and Sega Genesis after a crazy night in Vegas, this 16-bit beauty seems to be shaping up really well. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait much longer to experience the thing…

Project Zomboid- TBA -

Developer: The Indie Stone

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux

Much like Dead State, Project Zomboid is (obviously) a game about surviving a zombie outbreak. I know, we can only get so many of those, right? This one interested me, though, so I threw it onto my radar. It’s basically an open-world, retro-style RPG of sorts where you try to survive for as long as possible in a place that was quarantined by the government with uninfected humans still in there. Man, what a bunch of jerks…

Super T.I.M.E. Force- 2013 -

Developer: Capybara Games

Platform(s): XBLA

I’ve heard some amazing things about this game from people who managed to try it out, and from what I see, it looks like it’ll be about as good as they say. Once again fitting the retro category that many indies go for, Super T.I.M.E. Force is a side-scrolling shooter that involves time-manipulation. Oh, you say that was obvious? Fine, slap the game on your radar and move on then!

The Iconoclasts- TBA -

Developer: Konjak

Platform(s): PC

You know, there are times when I feel like I’m reliving the 90s all over again. Not that I’m complaining, of course. I personally love that we see all these indie games going with a retro look. Speaking of which, The Iconoclasts looks simply stunning. It looks a bit like a cross between… well, a lot of games.

*sigh*

Alright, nostalgia, you win. I’ll go play the demo for this game…

The Magical Realms of Tír na nÓg: Escape from Necron 7 – Revenge of Cuchulainn: The Official Game of the Movie – Chapter 2 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa- Late 2013 or early 2014 -

(Click image for video)

Developer: Tales of Game's Studios

Platform(s): PC, Mac

Remember that game, Barkley Shut Up and Jam!? Well how about the JRPG sequel to it and Space Jam known as Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden? Okay, so it was just a fangame, but still. And that very fangame is now getting a sequel of its own! Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it either.

Nonetheless, it actually looks kind of interesting. Sure the title is ridiculous, but you should never judge a book by its title. You should judge it by its plot. And who doesn’t find a game involving a “powerful youngster” awakening from a “B-ball induced coma” to go on a quest to find a “cyberdwarf” interesting?

The Witness- Early 2014 -

Developer: Number None, Inc.

Platform(s): PC, iOS, PS4 (timed console exclusive)

Anyone who saw the official reveal of the PS4 (probably most of you) likely remember seeing Braid creator Jonathan Blow show off his latest project – The Witness. If you’ve played Braid, I might not even have to go on in order to persuade you. For the rest of you, it’s essentially a puzzle game with tons of exploration, set on a gorgeous island with a lot of pretty colors. I think I had a dream like this once…

Starbound- TBA 2013 -

Developer: Chucklefish Games

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux, Ouya

Upon looking up upcoming indie games in order to put this list together, I came across a game that Indie Game Magazine gave the award for “Most Anticipated Game of 2013.” It’s called Starbound, and I naturally felt the urge to find out more. As far as I can see, I can only predict countless hours being sacrificed for this game. With so many things that interest me, from the retro look to the ability to build things with amazing customization, I will be watching for this one.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs- Summer 2013 -

Developer: Thechineseroom

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux

If you’ve played Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you know fear. So naturally, you crave more of the stuff, right? Then you’ll be happy and/or frightened to throw its sequel – Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs – onto your radar. All you really need to know about this game is that you’ll probably want keep a spare pair of pants nearby at all times. Trust me on this.

else { Heart.break() }- TBA 2014 -

Developer: Erik Svedang

Platform(s): PC

No, I am not trying to code my way into breaking everyone’s hearts. But as the name may or may not imply, the game itself is indeed all about coding things. In fact, you will actually be coding things yourself in order to solve puzzles! So if you plan on playing else { Heart.break() } whenever it sees a release, prepare to put your brain to work. Don’t get too excited, though, as I highly doubt you’ll be able to code an entire game after your playthrough…

Stardew Valley- TBA -

Developer: ConcernedApe

Platform(s): PC, XBLA

Anyone who loves Harvest Moon will probably love this game. Anyone who loves insane amounts of customization will probably love this game. Anyone who loves 16-bit graphics will probably love this game. The point is, Stardew Valley has a lot to love, as far as I can tell.

Similar to the Rune Factory games, you can devote your time to farming while also duking it out with monsters in nearby dungeons. It’s almost like if Rune Factory came out in the SNES era. That idea alone has me sold.

Transistor- TBA 2014 -

Developer: Supergiant Games

Platform(s): PC, PS4, possibly others in the future

The first time I heard about this game was during the explosive Sony conference at E3 2013. I was impressed enough just by watching the video they presented, but after knowing that the guys who made it also made Bastion, I didn’t hesitate to throw it on my radar. The game looks pretty damn good. I don’t know much about this game, but let’s be honest, I really don’t need to.

Shovel Knight- September 2013 -

Developer: Yacht Club

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux, Wii U, 3DS

Swords are for chumps. All a knight really needs to combat enemies is a nice, sturdy shovel. Have you ever been whacked with a shovel before? It hurts! But more importantly, this game looks like a bag full of awesome. Continuing the retro theme the indie scene seems to favor, Shovel Knight looks a lot like a cross between Mega Man and DuckTales. Need I say more? Well, it has an 8-bit soundtrack. There, now put it on your radar.

Two Brothers- Q3 2013 -

Developer: AckkStudios

Platform(s): PC, Mac, Linux, Wii U, PSN, XBLA

The final game on our independent list is really, really retro-inspired. Two Brothers was basically built as a nostalgia game. No, that’s what they themselves call it. Created in the style of Game Boy games, just looking at this game makes me glad I’m able to play Game Boy games on my 3DS. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, man. Anywho, this game looks like it’ll be a lot of nostalgia-filled retro fun when it’s released, and I for one can’t wait…

What indie games are you looking forward to that weren't on this list?

4 Comments

That is a great list of upcoming games and they are very interesting. I recently streamed/play Among the Sleep a few months ago and that one was really creepy and awesome. Transistor is another one I look forward to since I loved the Bastion game including the music and art direction.

By the way Jordan, I love your holiday articles you've been doing. They are a fantastic read and fun!